One thing we can all agree on is it's not some farcical joke like that silly rugby league world cup. This is the third biggest sporting event in the world - well, according to the International Rugby Board's own commissioned reports, and no other credible source or basic common sense. Plus loads of countries play and can win. In its history, the 20 finals spots have been taken up a massive 25 teams, of which four have won and five have made the final, way more than the three winners and four finalists in the rugby league world joke!
Most importantly, these are real national teams playing for real national pride. Not a bunch of Aussie and Kiwi mercenaries making up numbers.
So let's look at each team alphabetically and some of their most patriotic players:
AUSTRALIA
Henry Speight was born in Fiji and schooled in New Zealand. He is proudly Australian.
CANADA
Richard Thorpe did not represent Canada until he was almost 30, around the same time his ambitions to represent England looked likely to never be fulfilled and he remembered his mother was born there. He is proudly Canadian.
Richard Thorpe did not represent Canada until he was almost 30, around the same time his ambitions to represent England looked likely to never be fulfilled and he remembered his mother was born there. He is proudly Canadian.
ENGLAND
Brad Barritt was born and educated in South Africa, his parents were from Zimbabwe. But his grandparents were English and instilled tremendous pride in the St. George cross in him, at least from his mid-20s. He is proudly English.
FIJI
Campese Ma'afu was born in Australia, named after an Australian rugby legend, and has a brother that plays for Australia. He is proudly Fijian.
FRANCE
Scott Spedding used to play for Natal, which sounds vaguely like it might be a place in France. He is proudly French.
GEORGIA
Merab Sharikadze was born in Moscow, which like Georgia, was part of the Soviet Union. He is proudly Georgian.
IRELAND
NEW ZEALAND
SOUTH AFRICA
UNITED STATES
Hayden Smith is a United States rugby star, and totally not actually an Australian who earned a college basketball scholarship and never returned to his native country. He is proudly American.
URUGUAY
Jared Payne once dreamed of continuing his New Zealand career beyond U21 level, before signing for Ulster and discovering a passion for Lord of the Dance. He is proudly Irish.
ITALY
Samuela Vunisa was born in Fiji and played for their national junior age teams, but really enjoys pasta. He is proudly Italian.
Samuela Vunisa was born in Fiji and played for their national junior age teams, but really enjoys pasta. He is proudly Italian.
JAPAN
Craig Wing had made a late start to his international career after his path to the national rugby team was blocked for years due to being from a completely different country, playing a completely different sport, and having never been to Japan in his life. He is proudly Japanese.
NAMIBIA
NAMIBIA
Renaldo Bothma is South African. He is proudly Namibian.
NEW ZEALAND
Malakai Fekitoa always dreamed of playing for New Zealand while spending the first seventeen years of his life as a resident of Tonga. He is a proud New Zealander.
ROMANIA
ROMANIA
Paula Kinikinilau moved to Romania for a better life, by which I mean a professional rugby contract. He is proudly Romanian.
SAMOA
Tim Nanai-Williams once accidentally represented New Zealand in rugby sevens, by virtue of having been born, raised and playing all his professional rugby in New Zealand. He is proudly Samoan.
SCOTLAND
Josh Strauss captained the Lions, the South African super rugby franchise, then signed a lucrative professional contract in Scotland just three years ago. He is proudly Scottish.
Tim Nanai-Williams once accidentally represented New Zealand in rugby sevens, by virtue of having been born, raised and playing all his professional rugby in New Zealand. He is proudly Samoan.
SCOTLAND
Josh Strauss captained the Lions, the South African super rugby franchise, then signed a lucrative professional contract in Scotland just three years ago. He is proudly Scottish.
SOUTH AFRICA
Tendai Mtawarira hasn't let being born, raised and educated in Zimbabwe stop him fulfilling his dream of representing the Springboks. He is proudly South African.
TONGA
Steve Mafi fulfilled his lifelong dream of representing Tonga, via the circuitous route of being born and raised in western Sydney and playing for the Australian Schoolboys team. He is proudly Tongan.
Steve Mafi fulfilled his lifelong dream of representing Tonga, via the circuitous route of being born and raised in western Sydney and playing for the Australian Schoolboys team. He is proudly Tongan.
UNITED STATES
Hayden Smith is a United States rugby star, and totally not actually an Australian who earned a college basketball scholarship and never returned to his native country. He is proudly American.
URUGUAY
Alejo Corral was born in Argentina and lives in Argentina. He is proudly Uruguayian.
WALES
Aaron Jarvis has been a passionate about Wales ever since he happened to learn his grandmother was Welsh in 2011, moving from Bath, England, where he had merely attended university and played all his professional rugby after being born and raised nearby, to return to his ancestral roots. He is proudly Welsh.
Aaron Jarvis has been a passionate about Wales ever since he happened to learn his grandmother was Welsh in 2011, moving from Bath, England, where he had merely attended university and played all his professional rugby after being born and raised nearby, to return to his ancestral roots. He is proudly Welsh.
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